generations have fought for. the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it. our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the millions of americans who lost their jobs back to work. to strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve and our own workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. we must job start industries that create jobs, we must unleash the invasions that roll off our lines. it will be difficult but in the days to come it must be our vision as central people and my central responsibility as president. part of that responsibility is making sure that we honor our commitment to those who served

our country with such valor. we will maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known and we will do whatever it takes to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. this is a sacred trust, that's why we've already made one of the largest increases in funding for veterans in decades. we're treating the signature wounds of today's wars, post- traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. while providing the benefits that all of our veterans have earned. we're funding a post911 gi bill that helps veterans and their families to pursue the dream of a college education. just as the gi bill helped those who fought world war ii including my grandfather, become the backbone of our middle class. so today servicemen and women must have the chance to apply their gifts, to expand the american economy. because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by

those who have fought it. two weeks ago, america's final combat brigade in iraq, the army's fourth striker brigade care journeyed home in the predawn darkness. thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from baghdad. the last of them passing into kuwait in the early morning hours. over seven years before, american troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways. but this time no shots were fired. it was just a convoy of brave americans making their way home. of course, the soldiers left much behind, some were teenagers when the war began, many have served multiple tours of duty far from families who bore a heroic time of their

own. 55 members of the fourth striker brigade made the ultimate sacrifice. part of 4,400 americans that have given their lives. i know that my brothers and arms who fought and died this day would probably mean a lot. those americans gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries. along with nearly 1.5 million americans who have served in iraq, they fought in a far away place for people they never knew. they staired into the darkest of human creations, war and helped the iraqi people seek the light of peace. in an age without surrender ceremonies we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of

our own nation. every american who serves joins an unbroken line of heros that stretches from lexington to gettysburg. americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own. our troops are the steel in our ship at stake. and though our nation may be traveling through up waters, they give us confidence that our course is true and that beyond the predawn darkness, better days lie ahead. thank you. may god bless you and may god bless the united states of america and all who serve for her. >> the president speaking from the oval office there on the withdraw of combat forces from iraq marking the end of the american combat mission there and saying it is now time to turn the page.

as the president just said, no one has invested more in the iraq war than families who have lost loved ones to the fighting. ktvu's mike mibach live in walnut creek where he just watched the president's address alongside gold and blue star moms. mike mibach has more now. >> reporter: sorry about that gasia, we had some problems -- issues with the audio in here. if we can just have someone turn that down. as you know gasia a lot of men and women in the bay area fought in the war in iraq. many of them lost their lives fighting in that war including ben thortlesen. his mother mary joining us. your thoughts right off the top. >> i think that the speech was really good. and i you know, i'm very --

it's hard for me to get my arms around the whole reason that we're there. and so, i have to put that aside and just embrace the fact that my son chose to take this on and to do this and you know he's a hero for that. >> reporter: he's leaves behind a wife, he leaves behind a son. hearing what the president just said being achieved in iraq, is his wife worth the sacrifice that the president said it was? >> it's hard to -- yes, of course his wife and my grandson are worth it. definitely. but it's very difficult to, you know, understand it or put my

head around why it had to happen. because if it was something that i felt was a worthy reason to be there, it would be a little easier. but it's really difficult when it's a situation that i wasn't -- i think a lot of americans don't understand the whole reason we were there. >> reporter: got to leave it at that. thanks mary, appreciate your me. definitely a big day out at the capital and washington, d.c. an emotional day for many families here in the bay ar. mike mibach, ktvu news. we will have continuing coverage of president obama's address on the iraq war on our channel 2 website. we will include his speech and the american's response to view it. just go to ktvu.com and look on our home page. a jumbo jet from san francisco to sidney explodes in midair. you can see the damage on the

engine closest to you. we'll have what happened, straight ahead. stay out of the water in one upscale bay area community. we're asking the city why a recent sewage spill ended up being ten times worse than it was first reported. more than 100 bay area workers at risk of being laid off. why the next few weeks could determine whether or not they keep their jobs. plus, police shoot and kill a mountain lion on a busy bay area street. we just spoke with officials, hear what they told us about their encounter with the big cat, tonight at 6:00. ñ

>> reporter: right now quantum says 224 passengers are now in los angeles on their way to sidney. the plane is being looked over by mechanics right now. you can see the engine has a patch on it. that's the one that exploded. 78 minutes into the flight to sidney. the 727 was flying at 2,000 feet. >> people on the right side of the plane seemed very shocked. it was some flames coming out of the wing of the plane. >> reporter: you will hear the

captain call. >> be advised we're 1010, quantus 74. engine number four. >> reporter: the pilot descended and dumped about 100- tons of fuel over the pacific then circled back to sfo. with fire engines standing by, the flight landed without injury 80 minutes after take off. >> very good landing, very relieved to be on the ground. >> reporter: quantus put up passengers in hotels for the night. what happened was like in this test, a fire caused by a broken turbo. armouring is supposed to contain metal parts. but these photos clearly show pieces flew out of the quantus engine. if they hit the cabin or the plane this could have been a disaster. investigators are now looking

for the cause. >> anyone -- anything from plane cracking, they will look at records to see if the plane was maintained properly. >> reporter: 787s are able to fly on less engines just at a lower altitudes. this plane will remain until investigators isolate the cause of this engine explosion. such catastrophic failures are rare and quantus has one of the best records. a new turn tonight in the labor dispute between the city of san jose and firefighters. recent come backs come at the cost of public safety. find out why this neighborhood is becoming a hot spot. that story coming up in a live

report.

exaggeration, however you want to cast it. mayor chuck reed talking about an audio tape that firefighter say it proves that firefighter cuts are putting the city at risk. ktvu's robert handa is live in san jose with more on this, robert. >> reporter: this station near downtown san jose is virtually empty and area fire coverage has rotating crews.

today firefighters say they know this system is not effective but they are hiding it from the public. baha said she got scared during multiple fires here on tuesday. >> fire goes so fast, and we don't know how fast it can move. >> eventually the crystal flaming igniting everything beneath it. >> reporter: today the firefighters union showed how fast a fire could spread then played a audio tape from caty. >> when fire extends beyond room of origin, you get an

eight to 10 time destruction. >> he gasped, he said the public will never accept that you can't say that. >> this is another piece of information kept from the public. >> reporter: katy is out of town but major chuck reed said the city has never misled the public. they will also looking for a cut in the city. >> it's not a joke not to have a job, it's also note a joke not to be safe in the community. >> reporter: dynamic deployment was talked about last may. right now there are no contract talks scheduled. the freemont police officer

hurt on duty is recovering from yet another surgery. this morning's surgery was a success but there are still more planned for later this week. he is still listed in serious condition, upgraded yesterday from critical. the veteran police officer was shot while trying to arrest a man on domestic violence charges. charges have just been filed against the union city man who police say confessed to shooting officer young. barrientos is expected to be in court to hear the charging against him including attempted murder and carjacking. barrientos is being held in. another man found be barrientos is also being charged to being an accessory. preparations are on the way for the first and only u.s. senate debate scheduled so far

between senator barbara boxer and carly fiorina. tomorrow's bebait moderator our own randy shandobil. >> reporter: republicans think they can a chance to win back majority control of the senate. but to do so carly fiorina will have to beat foxer. >> california has lost more than 244,000 jobs in the last 12 months, more than any other state in the united states. >> reporter: fiorina who is campaigning in the central valley today who will most

likely as she's been doing will accuse boxer of turning the economy around. >> today i'm asking, where are all the jobs barbara you say this you are creating. >> reporter: is she prepared for the debate. >> i'm never been known as someone who doesn't play hardball, so just watch me. >> reporter: today she urged voters to give her more time. >> i don't want to walk away now that we're in a tough time. i want to get us back on track. >> reporter: analysts say both arguments are legitimate. >> things would have been worse expect for what we did. that's not a great rhetorical position to be in. even though it's absolutely true, it's a very tough position to be in because you're fighting against people

who are saying, it's still terrible. it's still awful, i'm feeling pain, do something for me. >> reporter: only the debate between boxer and fiorina puts that much more pressure on both of them. randy shandobil, ktvu channel 2 news. and ktvu is holding that first debate in the u.s. senate race between fiorina and boxer tomorrow night. we will carry the debate live from 7:00 until 8:00 p.m. what used to be a down and out part of san francisco is now showing signs of life. new shops, restaurants, housing is now springing up. david stevenson has more on an area which people used to avoid. >> reporter: the new restaurant brought an ethiopian culture to

a gritty part of san san francisco. >> it's been a year since i've been in this project and i've seen this area change a lot. >> reporter: known as a blithed district, hotels have housed transients since the 180 0s. city officials say a renaissance in the area is at long last under way despite the economy. >> in this terrible recession, the vacancy is only 12%. >> reporter: backed with financial support from the city's redevelopment agency. >> initial financing is definitely a challenge for incoming businesses because so many of the spaces on sixth street have been vacant for so long they need a lot of work. >> reporter: business owners say the pluses include big

spaces with lower rent. >> it's the entrance to san francisco off the 280. i think that's why there's a urgency to change the area and develop the area so when people come in, they have a good impression. >> reporter: new business owners say they are working to build bonds with the long time residents. >> people are welcomed in, we keep our menu very modest so people are inclusive. >> during the daytime there's more activity down here with the precinct that patrols down here. but at nighttime, no. >> reporter: police statistics show a rise and decreasing crime this summer on sixth street. the last week of june saw 27

crimes here. for july 63 incidents were reported. reporting live in san francisco, david stevenson, ktvu channel 2 news. state lawmakers seem to be on pace of breaking a record, one that no one is proud of. tonight why even with two budget plan, there's no agreement to get california out of its money problems. what senators in sacramento or in the verge of doing and how it would affect you. óç

two budget proposals but no solution. tonight the state of california is still without a financial plan and we're getting closer to setting a dubious record unless lawmakers hatch out a budget soon. ken pritchett live in sacramento with more. >> reporter: today lawmakers voted on two budget plans, one by democrat, one republican. as expected both failed. now the clock is ticking to set a record with the longest late budget in history. with a budget plan 62 days overdue, some say what happened on the senate floor was nothing but a drill.

the governor had another word. >> reporter: let's call it cabookie, whatever you want to call it but that's what it is. >> i think it was very useful because it did and does illustrate the different visions for california that the two parties have. >> reporter: republicans put up their plan that included the elimination of welfare to work program and other cuts. >> this is a budget that reduces spending to a sustainable level without raising taxes. >> reporter: democrats are calling for both cuts and tax increases to save social service programs. >> the other side looks to argue that we're starting from a clean slate. we're not. we made $30 billion worth of cut that is have had a real impact. >> reporter: republicans and democrats have agreed to balance the california deficit. but that deficit will push the stalemate into record territory. the latest budget was passed

september 23, 2008. lawmakers will blow past the second and third longest late budgets early next week. >> i feel the urgency but not an urgency at any price. >> reporter: it typically takes a week for that budget to hit the governor's desk. the record for the longest overdue budget could fall. in sacramento, ken pritchett, ktvu news. choppers in california may not have the option of paper or plastic for much longer -- shoppers in california may not have the option of paper or plastic for much longer. if approve bid the state senate and if the governor signs it which he has indicated that he will, the bill will make california the first state in the country to outlaw plastic in grocery store, drugstores and some convenience stores: a few stores in san francisco have already instituted their

own bans on plastic bags. a warning is going out in one bay area neighborhood about coyote attacks. our neighbor to the south is one of the primary destinations for american tourism. today it received yet another black eye. i'm tom vacar, that story straight ahead. new at 6:00, stay out of the water in one upscale bay area community. we're asking the city why a recent sewage spill ended up being 10 times worse than it was first reported. also, more than 100 bay area workers at risk of being laid off. why the next few weeks could determine whether or not they keep their jobs. plus police shoot a mountain lion. we just spoke to officials, see what they just told us about their encounter with the cat.

u.s. officials are warning against jumping to conclusions as dutch officials question two men suspected of conducting a test run for a future terror attack. the men were arrested in

amsterdam during the stop over from chicago to yemen. the investigation came after suspicious items were found in the men's luggage. a horrific fire bombing in a popular tourist spot is more bad news for mexico's travel. >> reporter: fueled by the american demand for drugs and their own extortion of mexican businesses, mexican gangs are ravages their own tourist

business. last week in puerto vallarta a bombing went off at a bar. we learn tourists are increasingly concerned about the violence. >> my wife and i have taken several cruise ships to mexico, we've flown to cancun, now i'm scared to go there. >> i recommended my client to go to mexico, now it's not my recommendation. >> reporter: this will likely harm sales. >> because it's a major tourist destination and people are not going to stop and think that it was a few miles from a tourist center or that it was at a location that was frequented by

locals. >> reporter: the swine flu epidemic plus the increasing violence was a reason for the fall of mexicana. the 9/11 terrorist attacks attacks slumped flight travel. reporting live consumer editor tom vacar, ktvu channel 2 news. coming up next at 6:00, we'redigging for answers about that sewage spill that was much bigger than first thought. what we're learning and when the water there might be safe

again. julie haener has the news we're working on. >> reporter: to say people were stunned might be an understatement. what was shot and killed in the middle of berkeley and blocks from a world famous restaurant. also ahead tonight, imagine looking out the window of your flight and seeing an engine explode. that's what happened on a plane forced to make an emergency landing at sfo. today we hear from some passengers on boards. plus nearly 125 park workers in one bay area city could lose their jobs unless one thing happens, we'll see you at 6:00. all right, julie we'll see you then. in saratoga officials are warning homeowners at an increase in coyote attacks. residents are being told not to allow their pets to roam freely at night and not to leave cat food or dog food outside. >> up next, bill called it. boy was he right. things are really starting to heat up. is it going to get everyone

hotter? our chief meteorologist will be back right after the break.

we're certainly feeling the warm up. >> the fog is eroding off the coast. you will see the clearing that's occurred. it's been foggy all day at the beach but that clearing telling me that north wind is kicking

in. that north wind will eventually move in and we're going to heat up. look at all the 90s, everyone triple digit heat well into the valley. a warm up as we go into the week because high pressure comes back. major heat wave, no, much warmer, yes. i don't anticipate any red flag warnings from this system but we do have a spare the air day. your five day forecast looks something like this. you're going to see a pop up right now. that five day forecast shows plenty of sunshine. much warmer the next 48 hours. see you tomorrow at 6:00. and there is much more news up next. police shoot and kill a mountain lion you won't believe where this happened. south of laredo, there's a place...

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a roaming mountain lion in the most unlikely of places, the big cat is shot and killed in downtown berkeley near gourmet restaurants, churches and backyards. >> nobody understands. combat operations in iraq may be coming to an end, but tonight there's concern about veterans as they come home. good evening everyone i'm frank somerville. >> and i'm julie haener. it is something most people would never expect to see in downtown berkeley and it caused quite a scare. a wayward mountain lion was seen running from the street near the shay restaurant before police shot and killed the big cat. christien kafton is in berkeley with the story. >> reporter: neighbors we spoke with say they still cannot

believe that mountain lion was roaming these suburban streets as you said. berkeley police say when it comes down to public safety they had no choice but to shoot and kill the animal. berkeley police say the initial call came into their 911 center, that a mountain lion had been spotted in this parking lot at the now closed elephant pharmacy. >> officers were quite taken aback. this is the first instance that we've had of this sort of thing in recent memory. >> reporter: police say the mountain lion ran through the streets of berkeley for about an hour, all of this unfolding in the blocks of the surrounding berkeley district. police cornered the female mountain lion where they shot and killed her. the woman who lives here asks that we not show her face. >> they said, don't be scared, there's going to be some loud noises. we're going to have to shoot it

unfortunately. >> reporter: neighbors say they were awakened by the loud shots. before they fired, berkeley police called the state police of fish and game looking for advice on how to handle the female lion. >> fish and game said based on the behavior of the animal and the area that it was in, that it likely posed a public safety threat. >> reporter: the state department of fish and game have the body of that female cat. christien kafton, ktvu news. 38-year-old efren baltimora, police have issued a

warrant for his arrest. the victim's 38-year-old son fredrick is still missing and police are still trying to find him. investigators discovered ricardo's body inside his home on saturday. autopsy reports confirm that he was bludgent to death. 32 people were taken into custody thanks to a sweep. members were carrying out orders from leaders serving time in prison. >> many of these killings are orchestrated by incarcerated inmates who are supposed to be serving their time and out of circulation. >> today was the result of a yearlong operation. we will have more on a live report coming up on bay area news at 7:00 on tv 36.

charges have been filed against a man who confessed to shooting an oakland police officer. he will be facing charging including attempted murder. todd young is recovering from a second surgery. young is still in serious but stable condition. young was shot last friday while trying to arrest barrientos. barrientos was capture over the weekend very close to the border with mexico. president obama officially declared an end to the u.s. combat effort in iraq. >> operation freedom is over, the iraqi people now have lead speedometer responsibility for the security in their country. >> up to 50,000 u.s. troops

will remain behind to protect american citizens. he says all servicemens will leave iraq by the end of next year. several gold star moms tuned into the president's speech. we caught up with one walnut creek to share her reaction. >> it makes me proud to be an american. we need to support him, through this endeavor we can't be divided and fall apart now. we're doing the push, our soldiers have done the push. >> reporter: dublin lost her son in the war. 4,400 u.s. troops have been killed in iraq. despite assistance programs designed to help war veterans with job search training, making that transition back to normal life does not come easy. rob roth joins us now, he's in san francisco with some of the challenges veterans face. >> the war in iraq might be

ending but for many returning veterans the war at home may be about to begin. >> reporter: going from the battlefield to civil life is not easy. >> if i'm home, you're just expected to be able to tone down your mental activity, your heart rate and to be able to react and interact with people in your daily life that is different from the way you were expected to react in combat. >> reporter: the veterans services administration worry that members may be suffering of severe brain injury without everyone knowing it. >> it's traumatizing for the individual, why can't i remember anything, why can't i sleep. >> reporter: in this tough economy, many of those returning could ends up homeless.

there's concern about depression. 222 soldiers committed suicide last year. >> we as a society have to know that when a war is over, war isn't over. we can't just say welcome home, turn the page and go on to the next news piece. >> reporter: the support of friends and family can help but sometimes it's not enough. >> many people don't understand. i think there's empathy initially. but then you are expected to just find your feet. >> reporter: the good news this mental health professionals have learned of past wars and are now able to identify and treat many of these problems. reporting live in san francisco, rob roth, ktvu channel 2 news. we are now only about 24 hours away from the first and so far only u.s. senate debate scheduled between boxer and fiarina. tomorrow's night's face off is expected to be closely watched. polls show the candidates are in a very tight race. analysts expect much of the

debate to center on the economy and boxer will likely be on the defensive. >> again and again the democrats rhetorical position is, things would have been worse expect for what we did. that's not a great rhetorical position to be in. >> ktvu is putting on the debate, the moderator is ktvu's randy shandobil. you can see tomorrow's debate live right here on ktvu. we will begin our coverage at 7:00 and go until the debate ends at 8:00. as expected, state lawmakers rejected today two competing pro proposals on how to solve california's deficit. one proposal submitted by the republicans only called for cuts. as lawmakers were meeting, governor arnold schwarzenegger was in san francisco promoting his party's plan. >> i say no to raising taxes, no to spending more money and

no to borrowing and yes to making government run more efficient, yes let's stimulate the economy and yes let's make jobs. >> lawmakers will likely have to go back for a special session to continue work on the budget. san jose firefighters are ratcheting up their battle. the firefighters union released a tape that shows city officials withholds vital facts from the public. >> this is a fact that was never disclosed to the public during this budget cycle. >> major chuck reed defended the budget process saying the city has never miss led the public. he said firefighters are trying to avoid a requested 9% cut in

benefits. it is a traveler's worse nightmare. an engine exploding in flight. ktvu's health and science editor john fowler is live at sfo now with more on what happened, john. >> reporter: mechanics have just stopped work on this quantus 747 you can see a patch on the engine closest to you. that's the one that exploded into flames in midair. on hearing about this, airline travelers this evening seemed uneasy. >> airlines are not really doing their best. >> i'm a little concerned ability the cut backs with aviation. >> reporter: but no one said this will change plans. >> the odds of it happening are rare. >> reporter: 17 minutes into flight of a quantus flight.

>> there were flames coming out of the plane. >> reporter: the pilot signaled distress. about 70 miles out to see, the pilot circled back to sfo. fire engines stood by, the flight landed without incident at 12:30 a.m. >> very relieved to be on the ground. >> reporter: quantus put up passengers in a hotel for the night. what happened is similar to this test. an explosive failure here caused by a broken turbo fan blade. in slow motion the blades fall apart. but these photos ktvu obtain clearly show pieces flew out of the engine. had they hit the cabin or the wing this could have been a disaster. investigators are now looking for the cause. >> anything from turn blades cracking wear and tear, they will look at maintenance record

to see if the aircraft was maintained properly. >> reporter: catastrophic engine failure -- reporting live at sfo, john fowler, ktvu. the jobs of workers are on the line in one bay area city. the one thing that could save them, coming up. also ahead -- >> reporter: and this peninsula waterway is now 10% more contaminated than first predicted. how did that happen? the story up next. details on a warning tonight going out to parents and students at an east bay school. [ horn honks, indistinct conversations

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today wall street ended its worse august in eight years with meager gains. investors worried about new signals about economic concerns. the nasdaq was down just about six points. a deadly fire bomb attack in the mexican resort city of cancun is raising more fear about travel to mexico. a bombing ended up killing eight people. a travel experts say today's attack isn't going to help. >> it's a major tourist destination and people are not going to stop and think about the fact that it could have happened a couple of miles from the tourist center. >> reporter: in